Telescope mount



.a3-zw. (vw 2,493,254 5R 55mm MUM Jan. 3, 1950 M. LEUPOLD 2,493,254

TELESCOPE MOUNT Filed Feb. 15, 1947 INVEN TOR. MARCUS LEUPOLD Bxl/gd. M//M ATTOR N EY Patented Jan. 3, 1950 TELESCOPE MOUNT Marcus Leupold, Portland, Oreg., assignor to Leupold & Stevens Instruments, Inc., Portland, Oreg., a corporation of Oregon Application February 15, 1947, Serial No. 728,826

16 Claims. l

My present invention relates to a telescope mount of particular utility for mounting a telescope sight upon a rifle or other firearm.

An object of the present invention is to provide a telescope sight mount comprising two mounting rings adapted to embrace the ends of the l telescope, both of which are movable in such manner as to permit movement of the telescope from alignment with, and a location parallel to, the

bore of the rifle barrel to a position of misalignment both vertically and horizontally, in order to permit elevation and windage corrections of the line of vtrajectory of the bullet.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a mount which will permit adjustments of the telescope sight and which will retain the telescope sight rigidly in adjusted position without straining or tending to bend the telescope.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a telescope sight comprising a mounting ring including a bayonet catch which, upon rela tive rotation of the parts thereof, permits separation of the mounting ring from the rifle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a mounting ring including a universal joint comprising a vertically adjustable member having a peripherally grooved head adjustable for elevation corrections and a pair of laterally extending screws having ends extending into the groove and adjustable laterally for windage corrections, the elements of which may be separated to permit separation of the telescope from the rie.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention may be more readily ascertained from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

In the drawings Fig. l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a rifle having a telescope sight mounted thereon in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substantially along the longitudinal center line of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view on an enlarged scale of the mounting ring at the left of Fig. 1 in combination with the adjustment screws;

Fig. 5 is a view in side elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 4

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of the other mounting ring at the right of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 'I is a view in side elevation of the mounting ring illustrated in Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is disclosed a modern rifle comprising a stock I 0 and a barrel II to which is integrally attached a receiver portion comprising a receiver ring I2 and a, receiver bridge I3. A bolt I4 is provided in the usual manner with an operating lever I5, and the firearm is adapted to be discharged by a trigger I6 located within a trigger guard I 1. The details of the firearm are immaterial to the present invention and the present invention may be mounted upon any modern firearm.

The present invention comprises a mounting bar 20 adapted to be mounted upon the firearm, above and substantially in line with the bore of the barrel II with its ends preferably attached to the receiver bridge and receiver ring by screws passing through screw holes 2| and 22 respectively. The bar is preferably provided with a recess 24 extending inwardly from one side edge between its extremities over the opening of the rifle receiver, the recess permitting access to the receiver, loading of the rifle and ejection of the empty cartridges. The longitudinal edge of the recess 24 is preferably undercut to provide a sloping surface facing the receiver cavity. The details of the recess 24 may vary to suit the particular rifle. It is also to be appreciated that the bar 20 may be replaced by separable base elements, one adapted to be attached to the receiver bridge and one adapted to be attached to the receiver ring, but that it is preferred to have the base on the form of a bar as illustrated so that all elements of the mounting device will be xed or positively located with respect to each other.

Near the forward end of the mounting bar there is provided means to associate therewith a forward mounting ring 25 which preferably comprises a split ring having a boss 26 in which is provided a pair of vertical, countersunk screwreceiving openings 2l, and a lower boss '28 which is provided with a, pair of Vertical screw-threaded openings to receive the threaded ends of a pair of screws 29. The ring 25 is adapted to embrace a portion of the tube of a telescope sight such as the tube 30 herein illustrated, and upon tightening of the screws 29 to clamp the tube rigidly. The lower surface of the ring 25 is provided with an extension 3l having a planular lower surface parallel to the axis of the ring. Centrally of the extension 3l there is provided a pivot member including a cylindrical neck 32 from which depends a bayonet catch comprising spherical surfaces 33 and 34 extending transversely of the axis of the 3 ring and vertical parallel sides 35 and 36 extending normally to the axis of the ring.

The mounting bar 20 is provided with a longitudinally extending bayonet catch slot 4!) of such dimensions as to receive the bayonet catch member depending from ring 25 when the ring is rotated to position its axis transversely of the longitudinal axis of the bar. The sides of the slot 40 are undercut to provide spherical surfaces 4l adapted to engage the spherical surfaces 33 and 34 when the ring is rotated to position its axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the bar.

The upper surface of the mounting bar adapted to contact the lower surface of the extension 3| on ring 25 is undercut, preferably by providing a forwardly sloping surface 42 and a rearwardly sloping surface 43 extending from a lateral ridge 44 adjacent the center of the bayonet slot 46. The ridge 44, therefore, contacts the central portion of the lower surface of the mounting ring and provides positive means preventing lateral rocking f the ring when in use. However, the ring may rock forwardly and rearwardly by canting about the transverse ridge 44, such rocking being permitted by the spherical surfaces of the bayonet catch and bayonet catch slot.

The ring 25 is thus attached to the mounting by a separable pivot, the pivot being pivotable in two directions, being rotatable about the vertical axis of the cylindrical portion 32 to permit lateral angular shifting of the axis of the tube 3-0, and being pivotable in line with the axis of the ring 25 in a vertical plane by rocking about the transverse ridge 44.

At the rear end of the bar 2D there is provided f a rear mounting ring 50 preferably of the split type and comprising a boss l having a vertical, countersunk screw-receiving opening 52 therein for reception of a vertically positioned screw 53, opposite which is provided a boss 54 having a screw-threaded vertical opening therein for reception of the threads of screw 53. Tightening of the screw 53 clamps the telescope tube 30 within the rear ring 56.

The bar is provided with a vertical, threadedl opening so positioned as to lie forwardly of the forward edge of the receiver bridge I3 and in which is mounted the screw threaded shaft 56 of an elevation adjustment screw comprising a relatively large disc shaped head 51 adapted to lie in a horizontal plane. The head 51 is provided with an annular peripheral groove 58 and the head is receivable in a vertical socket 59 in the upper surface of bar 26 concentric with the screw-threaded opening therethrough. The socket 59 is of such diameter that a portion of the side edges 60 and 6I of the bar 26 will be removed so as to permit access to the groove 58 laterally of the bar 26.

The ring 56 is provided with a pair of depending ears 62 and 63 adapted to straddle the sides of the mounting bar in spaced relation thereto so that the ring may be moved laterally with respect to the disc head 51. A pair of windage adjustment screws 64 and 65 are mounted in the ears 62 and 63 respectively, the screws extending along a. line normal to the axis of the ring 50 and being provided with pointed ends extending inwardly and adapted to extend into the groove 58. When the screws are tightened to their full extent the ring 50 is held against lateral movement. In order to permit windage corrections of the line of sight one screw may be backed off slightly and the other screw then tightened to hold the ring at the adjusted position. The ears Cil maneicopehrnaywbegloweredgutiintlgiegpoints/ 62 and 63 are preferably so spaced that one screw may be backed off completely and thereupon the ring 50 may be separated from the head 51 without disturbing the adjustment of the other screw.

Preferably the lower surface 66 of the ring extending between the ears 62 and 63 is adapted to be held in spaced relation to the upper surface of the head 51 when the screws 64 and 65 are tightened so that canting of the axis of the ring 56 is permitted at all times.

The head 51 is adapted to be adjusted vertically by engaging an offset screw driver in two receiving slots or recesses 61 and 68 provided in the lower surface of the screws 56. These slots are engageable by extending the offset screw driver into the receiver recess.

In order to gauge the amount of correction achieved by rotating the screw 56 the upper surface of the head 51 is preferably provided with a plurality of index marks 69 which may be viewed from above and referred to some fixed point of the telescope or the mounting thereof. Each of the marks may represent a definite correction such as, for example, 8 minutes. Simi- 'larly the ears 62 and 63 are preferably provided with indicia 10, each representing a windage correction of a certain amount, such as 8 minutes, which serve to gauge the extent of adjustment achieved by the screws 64 and 65.

It is preferred that the bar 26 be provided with a slot 15 extending inwardly from an edge of the bar, preferably at the end of the recess 24, into the threaded opening through Which the screw 56 extends. The slot 15 is bridged by a screw 16 `passing through a countersunk-opening at one side of the slot into a threaded opening at the other side of the slot, the screw being provided to draw the threaded surface of the opening through the bar into tight frictional engagement with the threaded surface of the screw 56 to clamp the head 51 against accidental rotation.

The bar 26 is preferably provided with a pair of bosses 11, one at each side of the bar 20, extending laterally from the side walls 60, 6l at a point in advance of and adjacent to the lateral diameter of the head 51. The vertical rearward faces of the bosses 11 lie along an arc having the axis of the forward ring cylindrical portion 32 as its center, and the width of the ears 62 and 63 is preferably such that the forward vertical faces of the ears engage the curved surfaces of the bosses 11. Thus, regardless of the extent of lateral adjustment of the telescope, the ring 56 is held against vertical bearing surfaces, adding to the rigidity of the construction.

The operation of the-dev ows:

The rings 25 and 50 are loosely positioned about the telescope tube 30, and the bar 20 is mounted upon the rie by passing screws through the openings 2l and 22 into threaded openings provided in' the rifle; The bayonet catch member is slipped through the slot 40 while the telescope is held normal to the axis of the rifle barrel and thereafter the telescope is rotated to overlie the bar 26. If one orNboth of the screws 64 and 65 are backed/away suficientlygthe rear end of -thereupon the screws tightened until their ends bear against the surfaces of the groove. The

rings are now tightened and the telescope is now held in substantial augment with the bore of *If-iteis-seemthat-a-vertieal tditiljti /AquirerLthe screw isrotatedrbymengaging an 4 ing of the forward ring 25 about ridge 44. Lateral movement of the rear end of the telescope is accompanied by rotation of the forward ring 25 about the cylindrical portion 32. The rear ring 50 is guided in its lateral adjustment by the bosses 11, and canting of the axis of the rear ring 50 is permitted by the rocking of the ring about the screws B4 and G5 as permitted by the spacing of the surface 66 from the upper surface of the end 51.

It is to be appreciated that details of the bar herein illustrated may vary to suit the individual rie. For example, it will be seen in Fig. 3 that the forward portion is provided with a rounded undercut surface at 80 adapted to embrace the rounded upper surface of the receiver ring, and the rearward surface of the bar 2l] is provided with a rounded undercut surface at 8| adapted to embrace the rounded upper surface of the receiver bridge. The radii of curvature or the configuration of the surfaces at 8u and 8l may vary to suit different types of rifles and it is possible that a bar may be provided with a at surface to be shaped to fit the rifle of the purchaser. Similarly, the contour of the recess 24 may vary to suit individual rifles, but as herein illustrated the recess 24! is believed to be suitable for any modern rie. Similarly the indicia marks 69 and 10 may be varied to suit requirements of individual purchasers. It is believed, however, that as herein illustrated the mount is suitable for any modern rifle and, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the mount is suitable for any modern telescope sight provided the rings are made of proper diameter to suit the particular telescope. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the forward ring and the rearward ring may be mounted upon individual base plates, such plates to be applied to the rifle by a skilled machinist or gunsmith. However, a single base plate such as the bar 20 is preferred since it eliminates many opportunities for errors in mounting which would otherwise occur. It is also to be appreciated that the base plate may be longer, or may be such as to mount a telescope at the side of the rifle without departing from the spirit of my invention. Certain of the claims hereinafter set forth express the invention in terms which permit of the interpretation that the mounting plate need not be vertically above the axis of the rifle bore, it being my intention to claim the present invention as adapted for side mounts.

Having illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my present invention it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same permits of modifications in detail and arrangement. All such modifications as come within the true spirit and scope of the following claims are considered to be a part of my invention.

I claim:

l. A telescope mount for a rifle or the like, comprising a base, a member threadedly mounted on said base so as to be adjustable toward and away from said base upon rotation, said member having an annular, peripheral groove therein lying in a plane normal to its axis of rotation,

a telescope holder associated with said member and comprising a pair of ears straddling said member and spaced therefrom, and a screw threaded through each of said ears along a line normal to said axis, said screws extending into said groove so as to permit adjustment of said holder laterally with respect to said member. Tr21"21rjtelescopemountrforsa;-^rifle `on--the like, comprising a base, a member threadedly mounted on said base so as to be adjustable toward and away from said base upon rotation, said member having an annular, peripheral groove therein lying in a plane normal to its axis of rotation, a telescope holder associated with said member and comprising a pair of ears straddling said member and spaced therefrom, and a screw threaded through each of said ears along a line normal to said axis, said screws extending into said groove so as to permit adjustment of said holder laterally with respect to said member, and the adjacent surfaces of said holder and said member being separated to permit rocking of said holder about said screws.

3. A telescope mount for a rie or the like, comprising a rigid base, a screw-threaded member mounted on said base and adjustable vertically with respect thereto upon rotation, said member having Ia disk head provided with a peripheral groove, a rst clamping ring associated with said member and comprising a pair of ears straddling said head, and a screw extending horizontally through each of said ears and into said groove so as to permit adjustment of said ring laterally with respect to said member, said screws providing a horizontal pivot about which said ring may cant as said member is rotated to effect elevation adjustments; in combination with a second clamping ring adapted to be mounted in spaced relation to said rst clamping ring and including a pivotal mounting permitting angular shifting of said second clamping ring upon shifting of said first clamping ring to correct the line of sight of a telescope held by said rings.

4. A telescope mount for mounting a telescope sight on a rifle or the like, comprising a rigid bar adapted to be xed longitudinally of the upper surface of the receiver portion of the rifle or the like, a first telescope mounting ring near one end thereof, a first pivot connecting said ring to said bar so as to permit shifting of the axis of said ring angularly in a horizontal plane for windage corrections, said ring and said bar having spaced adjacent surfaces in order to permit shifting of the axis of said ring angularly in a vertical plane for elevation corrections, a second telescope mounting ring near thevother end of said bar, a vertically adjustable screw threadedly mounted in said bar and having a large disc head positioned beneath said second ring, and a second pivot including a pair of oppositely directed windage adjustment screws embracing said disc head to permit shifting of the axis of said second ring angularly in a horizontal plane as said second ring is shifted laterally by said windage adjustment Screws, said second ring and said disc head having vertically spaced surfaces to permit shift` ing of the axis of said second ring angularly in a vertical plane as said vertically adjustable screw is rotated to effect elevation adjustments.

5. A'telescope mount for mounting a telescope sight on a rie or the like, comprising a rigid bar adapted to be fixed longitudinally of the upper surface of the receiverportion of the rie or the like, a telescope mounting ring near one end of said bar, and means to mount said ring on said bar including a vertical screw-threaded hole in said bar, a threaded member engaged in said hole, rotation of said member thus causing elevation correction of said telescope, said member having a peripheral annular groove therein lying in a horizontal plane, a pair of ears depending from said ring and straddling said member, and a windage screw extending horizontally through each of said ears in a line normal to the axis of said ring, said windage screws having their inner ends extending into said groove.

6. A structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein the upper surface of said member and the adjacent lower surface of said ring between said ears are spaced to permit canting of the axis of said ring.

7. A structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein a slot extends from an edge of said bar into Said threaded hole, and a locking screw bridges said slot for frictional clamping of said member against accidental rotation.

8. A structure as set forth in claim 5, wherein said ears straddle said bar in spaced relation to theA side walls of said bar, and each of said side walls is provided with a lug having a vertical surface `engageable with a vertical surface of one of said ears and extending along an arc centered near the opposite end of said bar.

9. A structure as set forth in claim 5, in which said member extends through said bar and is provided with a tool engaging lower end.

10. A structure as set forth in claim 5, in which said member is provided with a tool engaging recess in its lower end.

l1. A structure as set forth in claim 5, in which said bar is recessed inwardly along one edge whereby to permit access to the receiver portion of a riiie or the like when said bar is mounted to extend from the receiver bridge to the receiver ring of a rifle.

12. A telescope sight for a firearm comprising a sighting telescope, a rigid mounting bar adapted to be mounted on the upper surface of the firearm longitudinally of the barrel thereof, a front vmounting ring mounted near the forward end of l said bar and embracing said sighting telescope, a

rear mounting ring mounted near the rear end of said bar and embracing said sighting telescope, said rings holding said sighting telescope substantially in alignment with, and parallel to, said bar, a two-way pivot joint connecting `one of said mounting rings to said bar and being so constructed and arranged as to permit angular deviation of said sighting telescope vertically from parallelism with said bar for elevation corrections and horizontally from alignment with said bar for windage corrections, and means connecting the other of said rings to said bar, comprising an elevation adjustment screw having threaded engagement with said bar and an annularly grooved head lying in a substantially horizontal plane, a pair of ears depending from said other ring and straddling said bar in a direction transversely of said bar, and a pair of windage adjustment screws each threaded through one of said ears and extending into the groove of said head.

13. A telescope sight for a firearm comprising a sighting telescope, a forward ring clamped around a forward portion of said sighting telescope, a rear ring clamped around a rearward portion of said sighting telescope, and means to attach said rings to said firearm so as to hold said telescope in substantial alignment with the barrel of the firearm comprising a two-way pivot joint supporting one of said rings, said joint comprising undercut portions to permit vertical misalignment of said sighting telescope for elevation corrections and swivel portions to permit horizontal misalignment of said sighting telescope for windage corrections, a screw adapted to be mounted vertically on the firearm adjacent the other of said rings, said screw having a large peripherally grooved, disc head lying in a horizontal plane, a pair of ears depending from said other ring, said ears straddling said head transversely of the firearm and being laterally spaced therefrom, and a horizontal screw extending through each of said ears into the groove of said head.

14. A telescope mount for a rifle or the like, comprising a base, a member threadedly mounted on said base so as to be adjustable toward and away from said base upon rotation, said member having an annular groove therein lying in a plane normal to its axis of rotation, a telescope holder pivotally associated with said member and comprising spaced ears straddling said member, and opposed windage adjustment means mounted on said ears and engaging said groove.

15. A telescope mount for association with a riiie, comprising a base, a member threadedly mounted on said base so as to be adjustable toward and away from said base upon rotation, a telescope mounting ring pivotally attached to said member, said member having a tool engaging lower end, said base being formed to extend over the receiver recess of a rifle, and said member being located on said base in position to permit engagement of said lower end by a tool inserted through the receiver recess of the rifle.

16. A telescope mount adapted to be mounted upon a rie and comprising a base adapted to be fixedly attached to said rifle so as to span the normal receiver recess thereof, a. rear elevation adjustment screw threadedly engaged in said base, said base having a threaded opening for reception of said screw extending therethrough in the portion adapted to span the receiver recess, and the lower end of said rear elevation adjustment screw being provided with tool engaging means accessible by a tool inserted through the receiver recess.

MARCUS LEUPOLD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNI'TED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,117,782 Camus Nov. 17, 1914 2,087,996 Rarey July 27, 1937 2,135,774 Tilden Nov. 8, 1938 2,187,054 Redfield Jan. 16, 1940 2,224,783 Gibbs Dec. 10, 1940 2,306,997 Burrell Dec. 29, 1942 2,365,976 Sorensen Dec. 26, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 191,754 Great Britain 1922 

